Being a Crohn's patient in college isn't always the easiest. Every chronic illness has its own struggles, but given the nature of digestive diseases, it's a bit harder for us because we aren't supposed to talk about the gross things our bodies do. In honor of preparing for my third year as a college Crohnie, here are 10 things every student with Crohn's understands.
1. Staying near your doctor is a must
If you're anything like me, your doctor is an incredibly important part of your life because they know what makes your bowels tick and how to help. For me, I only looked within a certain radius of my doctor's location because I knew that I would lose it if I couldn't get to him in an emergency. Luckily, my top choice was already in that area, but for many others, it's more of a struggle to find a good place.
2. Finding housing you're comfortable with
When I first started looking at my options, I knew right off the bat I would not be living in traditional dorms with group bathrooms. It may sound pretentious or stuck up, but when you already have anxiety about being on the toilet, adding a bunch of other people there just makes the whole idea seem exasperating. It may cost more to get a less shared bathroom, but Crohn's people get it.
3. Working up the courage to finally tell your roommate what's up
Trying to explain to someone you just met that you're probably going to own the bathroom more often than not (and that you're going to feel terrible about the state of the air when you leave) isn't exactly an easy conversation. Hopefully, you'll be lucky enough to have roommate(s) that won't be bothered. If not, my next bit means even more to you.
4. Poo-Pourri is your best friend
You probably saw these weird commercials on Youtube a while ago and thought it was a joke. Then someone had this stuff in their bathroom and you gave it a shot because nothing could be worse than leaving the bathroom like you normally would. Now, you have this on hand all the time and in every bathroom you've ever been a frequent visitor of because at least then you don't feel like the next person will hunt you down.
5. Adjusting to campus bathrooms is a living hell
Alright, listen. Everyone says this. "I can't poop in public restrooms!" "I can't poop unless I'm at my own home!" "I only poop when I'm somewhere I know!" Well, Crohn's and other digestive disease patients don't really have a choice. If we did, you bet we wouldn't choose to brave the busy Walmart toilets. College isn't any different, it's just a little more permanent for us. You learn which bathrooms are empty at certain times and you start to plan your whole day around that. It sounds crazy but trust me, it's a real problem.
6. Eating on campus
"The dining hall gives me the shits!" - says every student ever
"Please never speak to me again" - replies all the digestive patients who are done with you
7. Reassuring everyone you're not dead after a medication day
This one doesn't apply to all Crohn's patients, but if you're up into the range of biologic medications, it's definitely one for the books. My infusion days leave me pretty useless for the whole day, so once every 8 weeks I have to promise everyone that I'm fine, despite the hospital band (which I only leave on as a class excuse when I come back). The only good part of this is knowing that people are genuinely interested in your well-being, even if it gets annoying sometimes.
8. When all you can eat is that *one* safe food
For me, it's Lucky Charms. When I'm having a bad Crohn's day, that's all I want and pretty much all I'll eat, so I hoard it. When your body ceases to let you consume normal quantities of things, you tend to either not eat at all or completely overdo it on the things you can. I'm definitely one of the latter people.
9. Your friends that know start to judge your food choices at times
The people in my life who know how my Crohn's affects me also know that food and I have a really toxic relationship because I love so much of it but my bowels do not. Those same people, out of love from the bottom of their hearts, have been known to give me side eye when I've had buffalo chicken dip or pizza three days in a row, knowing fully well that I will regret these decisions. I've become certain if they could contact my doctor, they'd tattle on me but let's be honest, college can get stressful and sometimes you just want to be a stereotypical student.
10. Knowing that you're a champ for getting this far
Life with Crohn's isn't easy. It's a lot of trial and error, embarrassing conversations, and time spent in bathrooms. Being a successful student alongside this life is just another sign of how strong you are. Not everyone can deal with it, but at the end of the day, you know that you're a champ when it comes to being successful with this shitty life (pun intended).
